This is a movie showing the flow of the game.
Please pay attention to the volume.
You win if you get all the cards before your opponent does!
Kyogi karuta is a game using
the "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu" Karuta cards.
Kyogi karuta is a competition in
which two players try to take the card (tori-fuda)
corresponding to the reciter’s yomi-fuda
faster than their opponent.
The rules of "Kyogi karuta" are quite simple
"Kyogi karuta" is a competition in which two players try to take the card (tori-fuda) corresponding to the reciter’s yomi-fuda faster than their opponent. On yomi-fuda, the whole tanka is written. On tori-fuda, only the second half of the poem is written in hiragana. The players use 50 tori-fuda in a game. First, they mix all 100 tori-fuda face down on the tatami, and each player randomly selects 25 cards, for a total of 50 cards.
The players place their 25 cards facing up inside their territory.During the match, the reciter will read yomi-fuda one by one.The players will try to take the card faster and reduce the number of cards in their territories. The player who clears their territory first is the winner. The rules of Kyogi karuta are simple. However, in order to win in Kyogi karuta, you need to have both mental and physical strength cultivated through daily training.
On yomi-fuda, the whole tanka is written.
On tori-fuda, only the second half of the poem is written in hiragana.
Although Kyogi karuta is a highly competitive game, players should value courtesy. When a match starts, and when it is over, players pay respect by bowing to each other and to the reciter.
Step 1
50 cards are used for the competition
The players use 50 tori-fuda in a game. First, they mix all 100 tori-fuda face down on the tatami, and each player randomly select 25 cards, for a total of 50 cards.
Step 2
The way you arrange your cards determines the winner
The players place their 25 cards facing up inside their territory (three rows of cards in space on the tatami mat that’s 87cm wide).The player’s own territory is called "ji-jin" and the opponent’s territory is called "aite-jin" or "teki-jin". There must be a 3 cm gap between the ji-jin and aite-jin.
Step 3
Memorize each other's cards in 15 minutes
After finishing placing the cards, there is a 15-minute period during which players memorize the position of cards in both territories.
You can practice movements - arm movements to simulate taking a card - during the last 2 minutes of the memorization time.
Step 4
Begin the competition by bowing to your opponent and the reader
After 15 minutes, when a match starts, players pay respect by bowing to each other and to the reciter.
Step 6
The first player to touch a card gets that card
During the match, the reciter will read yomi-fuda one by one. The players will try to take the card faster and reduce the number of cards in their territories.
Step 7
Sweep the correct card out of the territory
In Kyogi karuta, touching the correct card or swiping it out of the territory using a technique such as "harai-te" (swiping several cards together) is considered "tori", or effectively taking card.
Step 8
When you take a card in the opponent's territory
When you take a card in the opponent's territory, you can send one of your cards to the opponent and thus reduce the number of cards in your territory.
Step 9
When the match is over
The player who clears their territory first is the winner. When it is over, players pay respect by bowing to each other and to the reciter.
Kimari-ji
Each time a card is read, the "rule" changes.For example, if the word "harusugite" is read, "harunoyono" card, which was "sanji-kimari" card, will change to "niji-kimari" card.
Types of Kimari-ji
The number of syllables needed to identify a poem range from 1 to 6.
Kimari-ji "ichiji-kimari"
Among the 100 poems, there are 7 poems that can be identified by the first syllable of the poem. These poems are called ichiji-kimari (one kimmari-ji poem).
Kimari-ji "ooyama-fuda"
"Kara-fuda"
The remaining 50 cards that the players did not select before the match begins are called “kara-fuda". The reciter reads all poems randomly, so sometimes a kara-fuda is read too.
Foul ("Otetsuki"） 1
If you have a foul ("otetsuki"), your opponent sends a card from their territory to you.
If you touch a card when a kara-fuda is read, it is considered a foul ("otetsuki").
Foul ("Otetsuki"） 2
Also, when the corresponding card ("de-fuda") is in your territory but you touch a card in your opponent's, or when the de-fuda is in your opponent' s territory and you touch a card in your own, this is also foul.(① & ②)
However, if you touch any cards in the territory where the correct card is, it is NOT a foul.(③)
Swiping cards ("harai-te"）
Guarding cards ("kakoi-te")
Kakoi-te is another technique which you place your hand near the correct card without touching it to guard it from the opponent hand until the last syllable of kimari-ji is read. This strategy is frequently used when the kimari-ji is long, especially the ooyama-fuda or 6-syllable cards.
